Issue 69 - May 2018

MAGDALEN

HERE’S TO SUMMER DEMOCRACY ZUCK’D

MAY 2018

ISSUE 69

EMBRACING COLOUR FOR SUMMER

Dundee University’s Free Student Magazine

Welcome to the May issue of the Magdalen!

02

This is a bittersweet issue for the team as it’s our final one of the academic year, and my last one as Editor in Chief. We’ve had an amazing year, got nominated for three Student Publication Awards, and won one Best Multimedia Journalism for Murray and David’s coverage of the staff strikes! This year also saw our Senior Deputy, David, get promoted within the SPA as their new Events and Marketing Officer!

..And the rest of the Exec: guys, my goodness we give you a hard time, but we love the work you do, and you don’t get enough recognition for the hours you put in and the number of times you’ve been a friendly face to brighten up our day.

A special mention also to the bars and Union staff for putting up with our excessive bar tab orders, but also for opening up our eyes to the top shelf beverages there is no going back now!

Huge congratulations all around, as we’ve also just had our interviews for the position of Editor in Chief and Senior Deputy and I’m pleased to announce your new Editor In Chief for the academic year 2018/19 is, our current Deputy, Murray Glen; joining him as Senior is our Staff Writer, Barbara Mertlová! Well done to you both and all the best for the new year! There is no doubt in my mind you will take this magazine to new heights and accomplish many new feats this coming year.

To the other media managers: Scott, David, and Lewis, it’s been a pleasure to work with you and share a passion for media with people who love their outlet as much as I love mine.

And here comes the sad, soppy part. As I’m leaving, there are a lot of people I want to thank for making this year my most memorable in my four years at University:

To the Creative Directors and their team: thank you for making the magazine so gorgeous each month and bringing our words to life. You’ve made my final issue with the Magdalen so stunning, I got chills when I looked through it!

Firstly, the team and contributors for their hard work and dedication to the publication - from investigative journalism to comedy, we’ve covered so much content this year (and even done so in 12 different languages!).

There have been so many emotional and hard-hitting pieces, as well as articles which make you proud to be a fellow student at the University of Dundee.

I would also like to thank Ana, our VPCC, for being the DUSA Media “mum” and providing comfort and support for all of us during the times when people were ready to throw in the towel! You’ve helped the Magdalen become a known brand around campus, and I’m so grateful for the guidance you have given me and my team.

To Gary Paton: for being the behind-the-scenes fifth Media Manager and offering guidance when we were at a loss for what to do, but also for being a friend I could confide in when I needed to vent in nonwritten format!

And last but certainly not least, to everyone else who has helped this year, either professionally or as a friend.

It means a lot to me, and I don’t say it enough, but thank you.

Finally, I want to share a moment which made me incredibly emotional this year: issue 61 concluded with my last article as Technology Editor, and I had the pleasure of opening up issue 62 as Editor. And now, by chance, Murray has concluded issue 69 and will have the pleasure of opening up issue 70 as the new Editor in Chief. There is something so poetic about this, but it’s also a wonderful roundup to a wonderful year.

So here’s to summer, and to new beginnings!

Mila Georgieva Editor In Chief

MAGDALEN ISSUE 69 MAY 2018

03

Dear Readers, With the academic year coming to a close we wanted to wish you all good luck on all of your final exams and deadlines! We know that this can be a stressful time of year, so hopefully reading about the summery stories in the Magdalen can provide a much needed break. This issue contains so many beautiful photographs and illustrations that will remind us of the beautiful sights and adventures we have to look forward to this summer.

For us this is a bittersweet time of year as this is our Editor in Chief, Mila, and our Photography Manager, Nicole’s, last issue. We were so welcomed by them into the Magdalen team when we became Creative Directors a few issues ago and we are sad to see them go! However, we are very much looking forward to working with Murray and Barbara and whomever

carries on the Photography Manager position next year. All of us will definitely be doing our best to live up to the high quality standards that they set for this year. We wish them all the best post-graduation and hope that they’ll come back to visit us soon!

Over the next few months we will be working on a redesign for the Magdalen and we are so excited to revamp the magazine for you. So have an incredible next few months and we look forward to joining you with our fresher’s issue in September!

Iona Sorbie Molly Porteous Olivia Sharkey Creative Directors

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Mila Georgieva SENIOR DEPUTY EDITOR IN CHIEF

David White OPERATIONS MANAGER

Ellie Biggs DEPUTY EDITOR

Murray Glen ART & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS

Liam Biddle Rebecca Reid COMMUNITY EDITOR

Alastair Letch CREATIVE WRITING EDITOR

Becca Wilson CURRENT AFFAIRS EDITOR

Calumn Wilson FASHION EDITORS

Rachel Cairns Emily Fletcher INTERNATIONAL EDITOR

04

Shanley McConnell LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Malcolm Kyeyune MUSIC EDITOR

David White OPINION EDITOR

Ellie Biggs SCIENCE EDITOR

Alex McCraw COPY EDITORS

Catriona Leslie Dervla McCormick Paula Lyttle Stephanie Smith

PUBLISHED BY

Ana Ranceva VPCC DUSA Airlie Place Dundee, DD1 4PH vpcc@dusa.co.uk

CREATIVE DIRECTORS

Iona Sorbie Molly Porteous Olivia Sharkey DESIGNERS AND ILLUSTRATORS

Aina Fontich Claire Pollock Conor McBay Detta Carfrae Dóri Szőke Fabio Maragno Graeme Robertson Greg Rathie Iona French Iona Sorbie Leah Cameron Lily Wilson Megan Wilkinson Melissa Cocker Molly Porteous Neil Connor Olivia Sharkey Rachael Hastie Robbie Kieran Ryan McKnight Stephen Christoforou Steven Harper Veronica Hamilton Zoë Swann PHOTOGRAPHY MANAGER

Nicole Cumming PHOTOGRAPHERS

Aaron Donald Arjun Kalsi Chloe Taylor Dundee University Music Society Ellie Biggs Hannah Killoh Ieva Bočkutė Karolina Bielawska Rachel Cairns Sarah Creuly Stacey Pover Teresa Elvira Berkel COVER PICTURES

Karolina Bielawska

06

Feature

10 11 12 14

Goodbye Past Summers The Tourist Tell Me One More Time

16 18

Let’s Get Radical Nobody Looks Good In The Apocalypse

20 23 24

Future Environment Populus Daily Grind

26 28

I.O.(E).U Democracy Zuck’d

30 32

Embracing Colour For Summer What To Do In The Event Of An Identity Crisis

36 39 40

Talking On Tiptongue Money Saving Hacks For The Travelling Student The Village Of La Mancha

42 44 46

Tanned If We Do, Damned If We Don’t A Thankful Ending To A Beautiful Journey Confessions Of A Vegan

48

DUPS Photography Competition - Winner

50 52 54

King Arthur Singles Review Orchestra

57 58 60 61 62

Summer: A State Of Mind Silver Linings Of The Summer Holidays Summer Of New Beginings Here’s To Summer Forbidden Forest

63

DUPS Photography Competition - Runner up

64 65 66

Meet Your Interstitium Science In The Kitchen Soft Sciences

CREATIVE WRITING

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

CONTENTS

COMMUNITY

CURRENT AFFAIRS

FASHION

INTERNATIONAL

MUSIC

OPINIONS

SCIENCE

05

LIFESTYLE

Scenes of Summer 06

A Photo Series

Photograph by Sarah Creuly

FEATURE 07

Top - Photograph by Arjun Kalsi Bottom - Photograph by Karolina Bielawska

Top - Photograph by Stacey Pover Bottom - Photograph by Teresa Elvira Berkel

DUSA BELIEVES THE FOLLOWING BEHAVIOURS ARE UNACCEPTABLE...

UNWANTED SEXUAL COMMENTS, INCLUDING COMMENTS ON AN INDIVIDUAL’S BODY OR PRIVATE LIFE COMMENTS DEEMED AS RACIST, RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION, SEXIST, HOMOPHOBIC, XENOPHOBIC, TRANSPHOBIC AND DISABLIST UNWELCOME SEXUAL INVITATIONS, INNUENDOS (SEXUAL SUGGESTIONS), AND OFFENSIVE GESTURES WOLF WHISTLING, CATCALLING, OR OFFENSIVE SEXUAL NOISES GROPING, PINCHING OR SMACKING SOMEONE’S BODY MOVING OR GRABBING SOMEONE’S CLOTHES WITHOUT CONSENT EXPOSURE OF SEXUAL ORGANS ANY CONDUCT WHICH INTIMIDATES, DEGRADES, HUMILIATES OR VIOLATES AN INDIVIDUAL’S DIGNITY OBJECTIFICATION, FETISHISATION AND STEREOTYPING OF INDIVIDUALS BASED ON THEIR GENDER OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION LEADS TO A CULTURE OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT, SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION AND ITS NORMALISATION.

Dundee University Students Association (DUSA) Registered Scottish Charity No. SCO16047

10

GOODBYE T

here is a fear that comes with graduating.

A sense of impending doom, like when the boss music starts playing in a video game, or when characters in a horror film split up. You know something bad is right around the corner, and you close your eyes as if that might make it all disappear.

This is the moment when you take control of your future, when you have the opportunity to plan your next step and the maturity to make it the right one.

With graduating, closing your eyes doesn’t help (it doesn’t help with the boss fight either). Here, the fear is not knowing exactly what you’re doing afterwards.

Being cast out into the big bad world with only a slip of paper that marks you as someone worth noticing.

Even if you know what you want to do and where

you want to go, no one wants to leave the safety and comfort of an institution that has been there for the past four years, a constant in the maelstrom that is growing up.

I know what I want to do. I don’t, right now, know if I’m going to be able to do it. This terrifies me in ways I can’t begin to describe. But there’s a freedom there too, an excitement that I believe I should focus on. This is the moment when you take control of your future, when you have the opportunity to plan your next step and the maturity to make it the right one. Sure, you might make the wrong choice, go into a job that you’re not sure about, but there’s still time to change your mind. You’renot stuck in whatever you do next.

You’re free.

We’re graduates, everyone, and we’re going to take the world by storm.

Rhiannon Lindsay-Andrews Illustrated by Steven Harper

Summer,

we watch people. we come and go. we buy ice cream from an ice cream van and diy insect repellent jars.

Summer, i climb on your shoulders, frantic and laughing you are a museum we walk through you. we are a hundred photographs on the wall we are the frame we wear our art our heart it is the colour of the sun; never forgetting to shine we sleep in it and wake to the light.

Summer, you are the languages we learn in the moments between customs and security we come so alive in your sky and the mountains they meet us the clouds they cover we slip and slide we build sandcastles and swing around and around on the tire swing behind the lake and we listen to vinyl

Shanley McConnell

11

you are seasonal flowers we make perfume from your petals we pour it over our feet we pick strawberries and we learn many things we carry them in our hands stargaze and pretend to catch fireflies walking barefoot over bog and stone and garden-grass to backpack and bus you are road-trips and swimming and sunshine, and and fall. when you rain, we swim underneath \ it feels like stars falling on the This is how I spent my summers in the states, and now, surface of living here in Scotland, summer is different. It is cold us weather, layers and it is new again. you kiss our faces when we breathe This is also my last submission as International Editor, you are camping libraries sheets draped over three and I want to thank you for the way you’ve faithfully bookshelves \ we lie underneath and pretend we are followed and strengthened this section of the magazine under the milky-way with your own thoughts and stories. They’ve all it is a river above and we canoe through the water been wonderfully insightful and a great source of the waves on windy days we go fishing for fairy moss entertainment. white lilies Wishing you a summer full of colourful, new and little tadpoles that tickle our ankles. experiences,

CREATIVE WRITING

Past Summers

12

CREATIVE WRITING

THE TOURIST M Akkad Illustrated by Steven Harper

Her head was tilted straight up with eyes staring at the sky. She noticed the man standing by her side grinning childishly and she raised a disapproving eyebrow. The man recovered, turning from a scolded child to tall man in his late twenties. Maissam wore a neatly trimmed beard as dark as his dark hair and dark eyes. He was more of an acquaintance of Ida’s than a friend, but he had promised that if she were to ever visit, he would gladly show her around.

“I mean, you did come here specifically to see that tallest manmade structure in the world. What were you expecting?”

“I know. It’s just...” Ida stared again in wonder. She felt like she would get lost in the staggering height if it wasn’t for the sun roasting her skin. She’s never been in a climate so hot before. Maissam had told her that Dubai was more-or-less a desert thirty years ago. It didn’t help that it was a summer’s midday either. He noticed her discomfort.

“Don’t worry, it gets windy at such an altitude, it won’t feel as hot up there.”

“Up there?”

“I hope you’re not afraid of heights,” he winked at her, then smiled.

Twenty minutes later, Ida was staring down at a city that embodied the word ‘marvel’. It stretched as far as she could see, it was breathtaking. She felt like she was looking throughan airplane window just before it landed, except that the glass pane was more than twice her height and there was no roof.

“You should see it at night. That’s when the magic happens.” Maissam looked just as excited as she felt.

“I should. Do you reckon we can come again later tonight?” Still enveloped in the view, Ida didn’t notice Maissam’s drastic shift of mood. His face turned grim and eerie.

“No, no we cannot. You will not be around at nightfall, friend.” Before she could reply, his hand gripped her shoulder and pushed her into the glass. Instead of crashing into the hard surface, Ida phased through it as if it wasn’t even there. She opened her mouth to scream but her vocal chords were blocked, as if gagged by a fluid that she could not feel. It was not long before descent, horror and life met their end.

13

“Holy Mother of God!” The blonde woman gasped.

“How could it be so tall?”

14

Tell Me One More Time Tell me to get back in the kitchen

Don’t ask me to make the tea

Tell me the glass ceiling’s too high

Don’t assume I have PMS

Tell me my dress is inappropriate

Because I don’t want to sit on your knee

God forbid someone should see my thigh

Don’t ask me to give you a smile

Tell me I don’t understand

Don’t abuse me when I don’t say hi

Tell me that’s not how to behave

Don’t think that colouring something pink

Tell me it’s not harassment

Gives me enough of a reason to buy

It’s just ‘a bit of banter’ from Dave

Don’t think I’m not your equal

Tell me I’m not ‘hot’ enough

Don’t think I don’t deserve respect

Tell me I’m too fat

Don’t think that my body is just

Tell me I should wear make-up

Something for you to inspect

So I’m nicer for you to look at

Don’t assume I want a ‘girl’s job’

Tell me it’s not my right

Don’t offer me lower pay

Tell me feminism’s dumb

Don’t embarrass yourself by asking

Tell me I can’t have a career

When is it International Men’s Day?

And also be a mum

Then tell me one more time

Tell me I’m not brave

That sexism’s no big deal

Tell me I’m not strong

Try putting yourself in our shoes

Tell me we’re not equal

And tell me how you feel

And I’ll tell you that you’re wrong

Don’t pretend that you can’t see us

Don’t catcall me on the street

Don’t think that we’ll shut up

Don’t make me feel afraid

And don’t think that you can be outraged

Don’t think your unwanted groping

When we stick our middle fingers up.

Is a way to get you laid Don’t overlook my opinion

Lynsey Macready Illustrated by Robbie Kieran

CREATIVE WRITING 15

16

LET’S GET RADICAL D

undee’s bid to become the European Capital of Culture may have been derailed by Brexit, but the city’s creative communities have continued to grow unabated. There are places you can connect and meet with like-minded individuals, collaborate, product, and support - whatever you’re looking for, you can find it in Dundee. Except for a really cool radical bookshop that hosts meetups, book launches and community events!

growth. And it’s not just the creative communities that are lacking theses spaces, but the queer communities and intellectual communities too. I mean sure, we live in a city that has more coffee shops per square foot than it does blades of grass, but not every Tom, Anwar, or Jenny wants to get involved in an impromptu panel exploring the inclusivity of the word ‘queer’ over their almond croissant and vanilla latte on a Saturday afternoon.

As progressive as these communities in Dundee are, there are no real dedicated spaces that foster their

Don’t get me wrong, if you want a creative workspace, Dundee has you covered – Wasps Studios,

There’s this persistent image of the wrinkled poet, scribbling away in a dim room, guzzling coffee, completely oblivious to the world around them. The image perpetuates the idea that writing is a strictly solitary occupation, and that’s not only incorrect, but damaging. Writers need feedback and support from those with a diversity of experience and skill in order to produce their best work. Imagine if there was a space dedicated to supporting and disseminating the work of some of the best thinkers and writers in the world.

I attended a book launch there the week of writing this, for indie publishers Monstrous Regiment’s anthology of essays on the bisexual experience, called The Bible. This is the book’s blurb, in case you’re wondering: Bisexuals inhabit a liminal space between cultures, often misunderstood or dismissed by the straight and LGBTQ+ communities alike. We are the sexual identity most likely to be closeted, most at risk of mental illness, domestic abuse, and even heart disease – but also the least visible. Now, a selection of intersectional bi voices has come together to share their stories, helping our voices be heard and our identities seen. It’s time to stand up and spread the word.

Ordinarily a book launch will invite the author to have a chat with the host about the book, read a section or two, then take questions and do some signing. This launch was a little different: to describe it as a hybrid panel / launch / podcast / wine-session wouldn’t quite do it justice. What it did do, was bring together the three spheres of a community united by a concern

IMAGINE THE WRITING WORKSHOP ON THE MEZZANINE FLOOR, THE DRIFT OF POETRY AND PROSE AND ENTHUSIASM FROM ABOVE. It was like seeing kids running up to other kids with Paw Patrol school bags, or the light come on in the eyes of a Potter nerd when someone starts a debate about apparating into Hogwarts; finding your people can have a huge positive impact on you as a person.

I was in a room full of people finding their people: book people, writing people, bi people, feminist people, people of colour, radical people. If I were to represent it in a Venn Diagram it would be a series of interconnecting love hearts. Probably.

Creative Dundee does a decent job of supporting and fostering this kind of community but there are no spaces where this kind of gathering could happen in Dundee. Waterstones’ events are cool, but they’re too mainstream to support fringe communities. The George Orwell has some nice events, but pubs aren’t for everyone, or they are, and you get into the same public space issue as coffee shops. Let’s get radical, let’s give our fringe communities space to bloom and grow, and make Dundee the destination for the best writers in the world.

Paula Lyttle Photography by Hannah Killoh

17

Imagine a long, bright room, the walls lined with books from Frederic Jameson, Karl Korsch, and Juliet Mitchell; Woolf, Eliot, and Joyce; Judith Butler, Theodor Adorno, and Angela Y. Davis. Imagine the writing workshop on the mezzanine floor, the drift of poetry and prose and enthusiasm from above. Imagine, the quiet readers in overstuffed chairs at coffee tables. If you’re struggling to picture this Eden, then head on over to the capital and have a wander around Lighthouse – Edinburgh’s Radical Bookshop. It’s not a perfect rendition of my imagined space, but it’s pretty close.

for representation and understanding - the audience, the writer, and the publisher. From a psychological standpoint, it was fascinating to watch people find pieces of themselves in others.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

GENERATORprojects, DCA Print Studio, Dundee Ceramics Workshop, Dundee MakerSpace, and Dundee Comics Creative Space are all available for hire. But what if you’re a writer or a poet? Where’s your workspace? Writing is the art that is the most widely disseminated and makes the most money in the world. But the writer is a fringe creative.

NOBODY LOOKS GOOD

IN THE APOCALYPSE The event is down the twisting basement staircase of The Mayfly. It’s a tiny bar-room dotted with tables and chairs, and groups of women and men of all ages, shapes and sizes. A single microphone stands at the far end and the sparsely filled tables let me know that my hopes to avoid the advertised audience participation are slim at best.

It’s an unabashedly feminist call to arms and as Erin Kelly’s rhythmic voice builds, the poem casually runs through glass ceilings, female sexualisation, TimesUp, #MeToo until she’s ANGRY. Anger is the motivator in this poem, the fuel for the fire, the energy source to stand up and speak out. Which is why we’re here at a “spoken word, comedy and discussion event dealing with all things feminist”. To speak out, to hear and use our voices. A fun, friendly, foray through the darker aspects of feminism.

Kelly’s second topic – The Men of Facebook on Croft – discusses the myriad of informed and interesting comments on the latest Tomb Raider movie. A favourite is from @amazingatheistguy, who says: “Do I have to be the guy who says her tits are too small?”

NO – says Kelly.

NO – says the rest of the room.

“

FEMALE

SEXUALISATION @ ERINMAYKELLYWRITING

“

18 18

A diminutive brunette steps up to the mic and begins the opening poem – ‘Silence’.

A little bit of pantomime to jump into the perpetual sexualisation of women in film. Women are so often sexualised that seeing old women, bald women, ndrogynous women, is startling. The title of the show, Nobody Looks Good in The Apocalypse, comes from this concern and the amazing ability of women to find and apply beauty products while being chased by zombies, cannibals, and aliens; while the men grow filthy beards with nary a jar of beard oil in sight. It’s a ridiculous ideal to live up to, and Kelly’s second poem, “Mountains,” deals with the struggle to achieve and overcome the ideal. For Kelly, these mountains are ‘human shaped’ – the insurmountable pressures of human attitudes and internalisation of social norms. A tricky subject, one which the poem tackles head on. Somewhat lacking in subtlety, perhaps, but deeply earnest.

Sexual assault is next on the docket, a poem called “Brave” which was inspired by former Breitbart News editor, Milo Yiannopoulos’ casual dismissal of college sexual assault statistics. Given how motivated by popular and news media the event is, I was expecting “Brave” to be a #MeToo declaration in verse, but it’s not; I don’t know how you feel, I won’t pretend to, I’m sorry.

I found the opening lines to be quite shocking, besides flipping my own expectation, the idea that the speaker in the poem feels pressure surprised me.

But, it got me thinking: with the tsunami of stories of assault and harassment coming from movements like #MeToo, TimesUp, and #BalanceTonPorc, it’s easy to get caught in the wave and believe that this story is The Story of women. A singular female experience doesn’t exist, and we have to remember that. I’m worried about how casually I assumed where Kelly was going, how easy it was to know that her story

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 19

was the same, and how shocked I was when it wasn’t.

How accepting of it I would have been, like ‘yeah, of course you were assaulted’. These movements were designed to tear off society’s skin and reveal the depth of the rot. Not with the quiet curiosity of a child peeking under a plaster, but so we can cut it out, so we can heal.

It’s the next poem, “Monster” (which is about domestic violence), that really reveals the emotional core of the poet. It’s the first personal poem and has some strong imagery – ‘men who break hearts and men who break bones’. A harrowing examination of violence and psychological abuse which is quickly soothed by the more positive “Rebuilding” – an evening of reclaiming lives ‘the night we changed the locks,’ with the

message ‘no matter how stuck you feel, you can always leave’.

Kelly has done a decent job of examining feminist concerns over the last few months. It’s all been a tad superficial, but it’s a short event and I’m not sure she considered that the audience attending a publicised feminist event might not need quite so introductory topics. Turns out, the audience participation amounted to calling out movies that pass the Bechdel test or have female leads, or female POC speaking roles. I’ve played this game before and it’s usually depressing, but this time, in a room full of feminists, we managed to pull out quite a list. Expect Erin Kelly and a streamlined, powered up version of Nobody Looks Good in The Apocalypse at this summer’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

PAULA LYTTLE

2050 Climate Change:

20

Changing the Present, For The Future

A

s we approach the end of another academic year - with countless hours spent in anxietyriddled states - we now look to the future!

What jobs we can look forward to, the unshakable quarter-life crisis… or at least what the summer might look like.

While this may seem far from your life currently, the recognition of what this group has achieved so far is worth a healthy gander; considering that it is supported by the Scottish Government, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Water, the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation, and Young Scot.

For many, the future continually reminds us that the world is falling into a greater state of disrepair. With our oceans proving to be more plastic than water, the polar caps becoming iceless and even air pollution now being everyday concern for the majority. It is easy to understand why we are so concerned. As countries around the world are starting to progress towards sustainable goals, be it with the Paris Agreement’s virility or the progress towards the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals, a low-carbon reality is vital to challenging what our future may look like.

The reason why this project has motivated so many stems from its origin. Starting back in 2014, an action group was formed by a contingent of young people passionate about seeing change occur from their initial efforts of promoting sustainable thinking. As the group was the first to lead a climate change summit in Scotland, the event was an eye-opening opportunity for innovators to culminate and consider the task they had ahead.

However to some, this may all seem like hyperbole or (bluntly) pointless. We are told that the damage caused by climate change and global warming is irreversible.

What does it matter if we have no control over the future? This disempowered thinking is familiar to many, however would it be surprising to say that you really can make a difference?

Ultimately, how do we - as communities take actions that will lessen our impact on our environment?

The 2050 Climate Group in Scotland was created to offer insight and inspiration through educating ‘future leaders’. As a leadership programme, it seeks to unite sustainable thinkers across Scotland: to engage, educate, empower, and lead towards a low-carbon country.

From a youth work narrative, it is spectacular to hear a group of young people generated an autonomous organisation. Suffice to say, seeing the successes of the group over the last three years is inspiring. Although I, as an editor, am unaffiliated with the organisation, I had the delight of interviewing one of the charities’ representatives - Aoife Hutton - to understand more about how their project is working to meet their aims.

COMMUNITY

By organising leadership development events for young people, hosting workshops to empower young people to submit responses to Scottish Government policy consultations and working with a broad range of sectors across Scotland, the hope is that by 2050, Scotland will be a low-carbon nation. This can be achieved through making changes to everyday decisions, such as choosing to avoid air travel, cycling to work, supporting environmentally considerate companies or investing in recycling schemes such as compost bins.

As young people will mentor others and inspire a response, the notion of change plays accordingly to the charity’s model. Adapting to the current social environment is at the forefront of progressive thinking: exploring modern-day literature and decisions, to really kick-start change.

This however, cannot be achieved alone. It is the sharing of good practice and ideas that can lead to

a paradigm shift that may ultimately bring us to a future that is less worrying. Amongst the many others, the group works alongside projects such as the YWCA, Climate Psychology Alliance, Scottish Youth Parliament, which all strive to make the future more environmentally sustainable.

Ultimately, the 2050 Climate Group wishes to encourage progressive thinking, separating the talk of climate change from political polarisation. As sustainable thinking has trekked a long way to be considered in this light, the matter itself extends beyond just policy making. While key Government decisions are encouraged, the actions that are needed to lead us to a better future rest on us: as communities, organisations, businesses, philanthropists, industrialists, students‌ the scope of what we can achieve is essential for bettering our climate.

If you are considering joining this movement or volunteering: http://2050.scot/

Alastair Letch Illustrated by Rachael Hastie

21

The young leadership programme was inspired by the concept of youth empowerment as young people are often subjected to misrepresentation and potential exclusion based on age. Rather than adopting a tokenistic approach to including young people, the project seeks to work alongside the ideas and concepts that young people have designed for their communities. Young people are, after all, the generation that will live in the aftermath of the decisions we make.

“Populus means people, and that’s who it’s for: for all of us.”

“There’s a gap in the market,” tells me founder, Sam Ross, “we’re a group of very motivated students who are committed to reducing the stigma around loneliness, and providing informal spaces for people to come and meet new friends”.

Over 500 people have attended their events, a majority of which were hosted in student halls. Afterall, who can resist a Pizza Party or band night? At this point I asked what events they will be hosting in the future: “Informal social events in St Andrew’s… But I’m always open to new ideas!”. When it comes to the Dundee team, Sam is happy to let them implement their own ideas or take inspiration from established ones. Coffee gatherings with free food will always be a hit, as will speed chatting events where you get to meet people you normally wouldn’t cross paths with.

We also had a conversation about the newly appointed Loneliness Minister: “It’s a step in the right direction and it’s good it’s being recognised on a political scale, but it depends on the person in the role,” adding, “being appointed the Minister puts it out there as something we need to speak about a lot more”.

A lot of students feel isolated, and St Andrew’s isn’t overly welcoming, with a lot of people saying they’ve never met a lonely student - because of course, the individual will not make themselves available; they will be in their room or walking down the street alone.

“These are the perceptions we’re looking to change.

We need to emphasise the scale of the problem and that it’s very universal.”

Want to get involved? https://www.facebook.com/ populussta/ is where you can!

Mila Georgieva with Sam Ross Illustrated by Iona Sorbie

23

From humble beginnings as a small student-led organisation established in June of 2016, Populus have grown in membership, events, and locations - with the latest “mystery location” being announced as Dundee, and many future ones to follow. After gaining charity status in September 2016, they have been able to impact their local community and beyond. But at the heart of it all, Populus is a charity focused on alleviating loneliness and its effects.

Sam speaks from personal experience when she says there isn’t much help for students who feel lonely during semester. She shared a story with me of her first time in halls and how it’s uncommon to walk through your building and say hi to people you pass. Why aren’t we inclined to brighten up someone’s day with a simple “hello”?

COMMUNITY

Populus

24

7

years ago, Richard Davies sat with his flat-mate, drinking, and once again they discussed the idea of starting their own business – a clothing brand.

This time they decided to put their money where their mouth is.

They put £300 in, bought a domain and got three designs printed on some “crappy t-shirts and the first t-shirts of Abandon Ship were sold. I sat down with Rich in the impressive new Daily Grind shop to find out about the business, and more importantly the community impact his business has. Located in Dundee, on Exchange Street, Daily Grind opened up on the 16th of March.

It’s a wonderfully light, open and welcoming coffee bar that also stocks the Abandon Ship apparel collections and houses Hard Grind the barber – now all under one roof: Cuts, Clothing, Coffee.

Did this experience teach you anything worthwhile you can pass on?

“There’s this massive pressure on knowing what you want to be, but I didn’t know. I accidentally started the business! What seems important now might not necessarily be in a few years, it’s not worth it if you’re miserable. Inaction is the enemy.”

A lot of your pieces deal with sensitive issues such as mental health. Why are these important to you?

“Dealing with my own mental health issues, it was cathartic to get it out there. I didn’t want to glamorize mental health but how we address it is important, we need to start talking but also seeking help. The ‘not my anxiety’ t-shirt is one way for people to know they are more than any issues and they don’t define you. People responded and commented back, making me feel less lonely when I knew they felt less alone. It created a community of support for everyone.”

What do you think the new shop will bring to the community?

“I am anti high street retail. We have none of those strict rules, scripted conversations with customers, we’re honest and transparent. We want to create a small destination spot inclusive for everyone. Keep it local in one city, that we too can sit in a place and enjoy an amazement environment.”

With 47,000 likes on Facebook and over 68,000 followers on Instagram, I asked Richard how he would still like to reach out to us students. He responded by saying, “Help them out going into freshers, we want them to grow with the brand as it grows.

We’re working with other independent retailers in Dundee to create some sort of map of ‘Independent Downtown Dundee’ to show them this nice destination place.”

Asking what was next for the Abandon Ship ventures, Richard told me about the bar they are opening up, “dive bar vibe, a bit rough around the edges, where everyone is welcome. Serving food as well as drinks, located in the centre of town by the waterfront.”

Look out for it come June.

It was wonderful to sit down and speak to Richard. To see for yourselves the things they do, Instagram: @dailygrind_dundee Instagram: @hardgrind_

Written and photographed

by Ellie Biggs

25

Tell me about the “I failed art” t-shirt “I went to school in Dundee and failed art at highers, quite spectacularly. I’m still a cautionary tale in the school. But in 6th year I made up my own folio in free periods and got into art college without having a grade in art. I did it for 2 weeks and then left, kind of giving up on art for about 10 years. Designing t-shirts was not my plan and it was when I was going through my own mental health issues that I really got back into art.”

And now, with Richard as largely the sole designer, the brand released 250 separate designs last year.

COMMUNITY

How did Abandon Ship come to Dundee?

“When we started it was a way to have beer money and fun – a creative outlet. We had a store in London and Glasgow a few years ago but when the recession hit, high street fashion changed, and people started buying online instead. Seeing that shift, the shops closed and myself and Colin started Hard Grind here, realising people still needed to get their hair cut. Originally the coffee bar was in Hard Grind, but Dundee wasn’t ready for a multiplatform coffee shop at the time.

No one knew what a flat white was four years ago!

Now was the time for Daily Grind, especially with culture growing in Dundee.

26

I.O.(E)U. I

owe you an apology. In late August to early September, I obligingly took from EU taxpayers during a short internship in Brussels. Working for a week in the office of an MEP, I wined and dined at enormous discount, sometimes for free, at the expense of millions of oblivious individuals. Thinking of myself as an advocate for lower and flatter rates, I have to come clean; for my sake, as much as yours.

In the name of transparency, I shall recount how you unknowingly treated this snotty politics student most generously in the bustling Place du Luxembourg.

For Tuesday’s lunch, I tucked into a heaving bowl of Penne Napolitana at Brasserie London, washed down with Diet Coke, costing about €18. This was followed on Thursday evening by an insensible, yet repeated, combination of Belgian beer and English cider at the adjacent Bar Ralph, to the tune of about €20. The bar closed back in November, to the impassive reaction of EU trainees; one blog explained its demise in view of the fact that “it was tacky, it sold Carlsberg, and you had to pay to use the toilet”. But I know better. The curtains were guiltily drawn because they, for long enough, had taken your money without proper say-so.

Now, in my defence, these examples constitute the most serious indulgences - claimed consciously and directly through the parliamentary expenses of my temporary employer and unequivocally paid for by you. What’s more, I half-drunkenly refused to be reimbursed for my considerable travel and accommodation costs through the same process; something that I personally regret but proclaim proudly for the purposes of this article. It is fair to say that this beguiled the MEP, but is hopefully something of a consolation to the reader. It just seemed excessive, somehow impolite, to accept.

All this certainly explained why, as one waiter jested to my parents and I on the Sunday evening prior, “you came at the right time, prices go up tomorrow”.

After all, committee sessions were back after a summer recess and their members had your money to burn.

In truth, I struggled to understand as a wide-eyed teenager how or why this could be standard practice among acolytes within the European Parliament. That said, my office made a point of voluntarily publishing its expenses receipts online, something I came to admire after I learned that a majority of legislators had voted against enshrining this gesture as a regulatory requirement in April 2017.

Most significant was endemic reductions of lunch prices. As an official EU guide smugly remarked “A hot meal costs between 4 and 8 Euros ... A restaurant meal in the city would cost a minimum of €15,” with some German MEPs actively pushing for even further discounts. Having eaten in the Parliament’s cafeteria on four occasions, I fess up to an approximate €46 saved overall. What’s worse, if not for an austerity-inspired change of policy in April 2015, you would have subsidised my lunches directly, instead of remunerating the institution to such an extent where it could afford to sport such exceptional prices.

”

In this vein, the idea of foregoing an afternoon coffee following my (discounted) continental lunch in the heart of continental political power struck me as a waste. I bought four cups during my stay - the first for myself on the Monday, and three others on Friday for some colleagues and I. When charged for the latter in the so-called “Mickey Mouse Bar”, I assumed there had been some mistake. “That’ll be €3,50” the barista said, “Sorry, I actually asked for three” – “Oui, €3,50 please monsieur”. With just one cappuccino in a Brussels café averaging a cost of €4,35, you can appreciate the disparity, however farcical the example. Then again, perhaps not as farcical as the 30,000 corporate lobbyists currently employed to grace Mickey’s childish furniture - hardly a Disneyfied playground.

So, crunch time. Totalling expenses claimed and discounts enjoyed, I owe EU taxpayers an accrued €96,73, about €0,0000002513 when divided among the estimated 385 million individuals to which it belonged.

Cash or cheque?

Curtis Large

27

Reinforced by my supervisor’s monthly staff and secretarial allowance of €21.370, my induction into the Eurocracy took no time at all. Indeed, my confirmation occurred on the first day. Posing for a cheesy picture in a press area, a bearded Iberian MEP, brown collar unbuttoned, stopped his congregation of attentive schoolgirls and decreed “Here are where the presidents stand. This man is clearly a president!” He was right in a way, at least, in a microcosmic sense - I was enjoying the privileges of one. After all, let us not forget the more incremental and markedly more discreet entitlements which I snaffled within the bounds of the parliamentary complex.

CURRENT AFFAIRS

“

I owe EU taxpayers an accrued €96,73, about €0,0000002513 when divided among the estimated 385 million individuals to which it belonged. Cash or cheque?

DEMOCRACY: ZUCK’D MURRAY GLEN ILLUSTRATED BY RYAN MCKNIGHT

28

The Cambridge Analytica scandal has fundamentally shaken political campaigning and our relationship with data.

T

he company, which specialises in data analytics and strategic digital marketing, has been embroiled in a series of accusations involving the harvesting of information from upwards of 50 million Facebook profiles without permission.

According to whistle blower Christopher Wylie, this was done with the intention of building psychological profiles of Facebook users and giving political campaigns access to the information in order for them to better target intensely-specific demographics. Perhaps more controversially, this was revealed to be the intrinsic purpose of the company, not a lapse in moral conduct. Infamous Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix was filmed by undercover Channel 4 reporters boasting about their illicit activities. Among the more scandalous revelations were that Mr Nix admitted to manufacturing sex scandals, promoting fake news and deletion of emails among other evidence around the world to aid in the political ambitions of clients.

Common Cause, a US based electoral watchdog has recently said that the role of Mr Nix and Cambridge Analytica in the 2016 presidential election which saw the Trump campaign as a client, could violate US law.

‘’

When empiricism leaves political sciences and comes into political process, we must question the intentions of people who would have our political experiences reduced to numbers on a page for sale.

CURRENT AFFAIRS 29

Closer to home, we have learned that a company connected to Cambridge Analytica, AggregateIQ, worked with the Leave Campaign to build similar profiles during the Brexit referendum. According to the whistle blower, using psychological profiles, the Leave campaign was able to target passive Facebook users who fitted the same online profile as those who were most likely to vote leave. They would then target these passive people with fake news and emotive content to encourage them to mobilise that demographic in its favour. That particular connection comes in the same week we were told that the Leave campaign may have overspent by around £700,000.

Thus, we can see that there is an uncomfortable closeness between these less than reputable data mining companies and some of the most important political events of our lifetime.

We are forced to ask ourselves where we draw the line, how sacred do we want our democracy to be?

Targeting voters is nothing new, it is common practice and crucial to winning elections. Some would argue that the relationships spin doctors have with the press is also important in political life; the ability to mould the party’s messages image in the press has a real impact on the success of a party. When we see ourselves reduced

to data however, we can lose track of the idea that democracy is a human activity, not a scientific one.

When empiricism leaves political sciences and comes into political process, we must question the intentions of people who would have our political experiences reduced to numbers on a page for sale.

The Facebook connection is the point of the story which should offended even the non-political among us. The phrase “if you are not paying for a service, you are the product” had been truly confirmed in the wake of these revelations. By agreeing to Facebook’s terms of service, we have apparently been inadvertently allowing our data and psychological patterns to be monitored and packaged up for sale. Mark Zuckerberg will be appearing before MPs in the following weeks to answer questions on the matter, in what should be a display of the elected representatives of the people retaking control over this business fiasco. However, with evidence of such data mining going back to 2014, we can be forgiven for wondering how the very people who are guilty of using these firms, can subsequently hold them to account? In doing so, the politicians on the Leave side, who I will remind readers make up most of the British cabinet, would expose their own methods for winning to ridicule.

Embracing Colour for Summer How to Clash Colours and Prints

30

Emily Fletcher

W

Start small.

shade instead of stone-wash blue. Switch up a white tee for a pop of yellow, or one with a bold pattern. If you pick something that you’re comfortable wearing because of its style or fit, then you can’t really go wrong. It’s also a great way to make sure it’s an item you are likely to wear. We know what we feel good in, so use that to your advantage and pick items that aren’t necessarily replacements for these, but that will fit into your wardrobe nicely.

Have a buffer item.

Find the common thread.

Stick to what you love.

The easiest way to clash patterns is to find ways in which they do match. Perhaps it’s the print itself; two striped items, or two polka-dot items, whatever the print may be. A noteworthy point is that stripes are 100% the easiest pattern to work with because the pattern is so simple, yet can house so many combinations. Similarly, you can pick out a colour that features in both items you’re wearing. Matching a colour shows that you have thought the outfit through and not thrown something together randomly; alongside this the items will complement each other naturally and create a unique “that probably shouldn’t go but oh wow, it does” look.

Bringing colour to your wardrobe doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your own style. If you are a fan of wearing black then why not reach for darker colours - ones that are not a shock to the system for you to wear. Lots of floral items now come with black or deep jewel-toned backgrounds, meaning that although there is some brightness in the pattern, the clothing itself is still dark overall. On the flip side, if you love pale or pastel colours then it could be worth finding items that have small amounts of pattern or bright colours on them, such as spots or stripes, or even from the type on a slogan tee. It’s a good idea to ease into wearing items that are a little out of your norm, as the goal isn’t to feel uncomfortable!

Switch up your basics.

With all of these tips and tricks comes the disclaimer that you don’t need to follow this list to feel great wearing colour. It is simply a starting point to hopefully inspire some of you, as fashion should be fun.

If anything, the best tip I have is to experiment, and have fun trying on all the different combinations!

Everyone has their own “uniform”. If you are not confident about wearing lots of colour or patterns then reach for something that is familiar to you, whether it be denim, a coat, or a handbag. Go for your signature boot style, but in a bright colour. Reach for your favourite style of jeans but choose a bolder indigo

Sometimes it’s the plain piece of clothing that makes an outfit, especially if you are feeling like things are getting too busy. Think of items like plain denim, white tees, and neutral colours that can break up the colours and prints. Having a simple item between two ‘clashers’ - for example a plain pair of trousers or skirt between a patterned top and patterned shoes - gives the mixture room to breathe. This separates the prints or colours and means you can play with textures too, for example a satin top against rougher denim, with a leather bag. Any of these items could be the ‘buffer’ one, but the different textures bring something unique to the outfit once it’s all worn together!

Illustrated by Zoë Swann

31

If you are new to clashing colours or prints then it can be useful to start small, so you are not overwhelmed or nervous about wearing a whole outfit of clashing pieces. The first step is to look at the colour wheel: for every colour, the ‘clash’ is found directly opposite.

While there is no set rule on what colours you should wear together, it is a great way to compare pieces in your wardrobe and give you a starting point. A very simple way of doing this is to begin with makeup.

Clashing your lip colour and nail polish is a subtle detail, but one that looks gorgeous. Alternatively you can switch up colour and patterns through accessories: your shoes, bags, or even smaller details like your socks or jewellery!

FASHION

ith Summer on the horizon, clothing stores are now full of colour. For some this is a dream, others it’s a little daunting.

We’ve all been there at one point: looking at the racks of clothes in front of us and wondering how we’re meant to pair all these bright colours and prints together. For those of you needing inspiration, keep on reading. Here are my top tips!

A PUBLIC INFORMATION REPORT: WHAT TO DO IN THE EVENT OF AN IDENTITY CRISIS.

32

Are you are feeling lost, confused, or defeated?

Is the hopeful, optimistic, note-taking person you were in September no more?

DON’T BE ALARMED. University is a time of almost constant change and ‘growth of character’. It is normal to be a slightly different person each successive year, and upon graduation you will have to deal with the disconcerting

fact that you are no longer a ‘student’, but ‘unemployed’. All of these new experiences and personal changes can put a great deal of stress upon the way you see yourself and an identity crisis may occur.

(1) AM I LIKELY TO HAVE AN IDENTITY CRISIS? While the identity crisis is primarily associated with adolescence, THEY CAN STRIKE AT ANY TIME, and it’s one’s duty to be prepared. Moreover, thanks to psychologist Dr James Marcia, we can now identify who is most at risk. Dr Marcia has identified two main variables which affect the likelihood of your experiencing such a crisis:

exploration and commitment. Those high on commitment are the least susceptible, having a strong sense of self-identity; while those high on exploration are more vulnerable, as they may still be building their character.

These variables give rise to four categories of self-identity. Please read the following carefully to find out to which category you belong, as each type will experience an identity crisis differently.

- IDENTITY ACHIEVED -

High on commitment but low on exploration, this person has always had a strong sense of identity.

They have a firm idea of their aims and priorities in life, and have always had a consistent taste in fashion.

High on both commitment and exploration, this person has achieved a strong sense of self-identity through a great deal of experimentation and has a clear, thoroughly-researched vision for their future.

This is not to say that they have always worn the same clothes, but rather they may dress by certain rules, such as following the latest trends, or dressing for comfort. They have a strong sense of what is sartoriallyappropriate for all occasions.

FASHION

- IDENTITY FORECLOSED -

Due to being extremely comfortable with their own identity, this person will normally have developed a distinctive, personal style which incorporates elements of their personality; they may even have a signature look or uniform.

33

- IDENTITY MORATORIUM -

- IDENTITY DIFFUSED -

High on exploration but unready to commit, this person isstill searching for their identity. They are unsure of their path in life and this may lead to either experimentation, or a state of uneasy and unfulfilled inertia.

Low on both commitment and exploration, this person has no fixed self-identity but nor are they striving to obtain one. They tend to float through life and may be easily influenced by friends and surroundings.

This person may change their sense of style regularly and often tries new trends and subcultures in an attempt to find one that ‘fits’.

Their eclectic fashion sense may occasionally appear confused or costume-like to others.

They do not have a life plan, preferring to make the most of the opportunities which come their way.

Such people may either place little emphasis on their outward appearance as a signifier of identity, or they may be greatly influenced by others, slavishly following the fashions of the season or of their friends.

(2) IS IT HAPPENING? Symptoms of an identity crisis include a general sense of malaise, confusion, and the desire to change something about yourself, or do something that is generally unlike you. Keep calm and do read on for some helpful advice in such an event.

University is a time of almost constant change and ‘growth of character’.

(3) MANAGING YOUR IDENTITY CRISIS. First, a warning:

34

** ESPECIALLY THE FRINGE.**

That said, the best way to relieve the symptoms of an identity crisis is to explore your individuality through dress and

style- though of course, this will do nothing to cure any deep-seated psychological issues.

- IDENTITY FORECLOSED -

- IDENTITY DIFFUSED -

You’ve never really questioned your identity, but if you do suddenly wish to experiment a little, we suggest a hat. A black fedora that can be discarded after a few weeks is perfect; it will show everyone a new, hat-wearing side to your personality and you can tick ‘find self at university’ off your 5-year plan.

While you may not have a very strong sense of identity, your adaptability is a strength, and for you, a crisis is an opportunity to refresh things. To mark this rejuvenation it may be time to get a bold, fun haircut as you’re such a chameleon, you can pull-off most styles and your easy going nature means you won’t get tired of it.

- IDENTITY ACHIEVED -

- IDENTITY MORATORIUM -

This little panic is undoubtedly only a minor blip, as you are very confident in your identity.

To mix things up however, simply dig through your wardrobe and pick your favourite item from your experimental years; the studded belt from your emo-days or your preppy, peter-pan collar necklace, are souvenirs from your journey of self-discovery and will add a certain je-ne-sais-quoi to your outfit.

You are almost definitely having an identity crisis, but worry not and embrace this element of your personality! Use your clothes and style to experiment; you can be a classic Audrey Hepburn one day, and a bohemian Stevie Nicks the next.

Try to resist any big permanent changes however- getting a pixie cut or a tattoo may offer immediate relief, but you will likely soon regret such a decision.

A public information report

by Rachel Cairns.

MUSIC

**It is very important at the outset of any personal breakdown that you DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CUT YOUR OWN HAIR.**

F R I D A Y 2

1 1 T H 0

1

M A Y

8

DUNDEE fb.com/DistortedDundee

Dundee University Students Association (DUSA) Registered Scottish Charity No. SC016047

@GeneralDistort

Talking on Tiptongue The Non-Native Language Experience

T 36

houghts on a pleasant struggle by someone who, against all warnings, has come to Dundee to study Creative Writing in a language other than her native tongue.

Growing up monolingual, other languages were mysteries to me - enigmatic codes of unknown origin and incomprehensible rules. I was fascinated, but too young to have any real grasp on what it even meant to learn another language, let alone to think in one.

Speaking English was not a big deal when I was young. Today, kids are sent to bilingual kindergarten before they can hold a fork, but I did not start English in school until I was ten years old.

People who speak English fluently often hold the stereotypical opinion that it is a simple language, but this is far from the truth. My native language has a much more complicated grammatical system, making it more precise than other languages, but when it comes to idiomatic intricacy and flexibility, German doesn’t hold a candle to English.

English empowered me: I understood the lyrics to my music, I had access to what people said outside the enclosure of my native language, and I could talk to people from all across the world about the things that mattered to me. So I know from my own experience that each language

you learn unlocks previously unknown horizons.

People ask me why and how I write in something other than my first language. They can conceive that you could speak a different language, but producing literature in something other than your mother tongue seems odd to them. I feel like, in conversations like this, I can never quite convey what I feel without using a painfully hackneyed metaphor:

ENGLISH IS THE LANGUAGE OF MY HEART. The term “native language” is, perhaps, misleading; while the urge to communicate is inherent, the spoken word is not. Nobody is born, as the expression would imply, with a language. We all have to learn any language we speak, but since only foreign languages are taught from scratch, non-native speakers often have a better grasp on the structural workings of a language. In any case, there is nothing contradictory about being more comfortable in a language other than your native one…

There are so many advantages to knowing other languages - the most important one, to me, is the open-mindedness that comes with the change in

FASHION INTERNATIONAL

When it comes to the world of words, we should always grow with the challenge.

Marie-Bernadette Rollins Illustrated by Dóri Szőke

37

perspective when you realise that our language has a significant impact on how we view the world.

And to discover - once you’re over the hump of basic grammar - the many nooks and crannies and the nuances of other languages. This always includes the wonderful insight that, in every language, there are things which can only be said in that very language.

My favourite example is the Catalan word Iletraferit, which is their expression for a bookworm, but literally translated it means “letter-hurt.” How much nicer is that than the gross worm reference. Someone who has been hurt by words yet cannot get enough of the pain. I adore that image. There are millions of other examples out there in every language. There is so much to discover that I pity anyone who has never shared in the experience of at least dipping their toes (or rather, tongues) into another language. It takes some work, but you get so much back in return.

38

FASHION INTERNATIONAL

Money-Saving Hacks for the Travelling Student Students usually see travelling whilst studying as unrealistic budget-wise, but there are easy hacks to minimise the cost of travel, allowing us to further our education and broaden our life experiences. These four tips enabled me to travel to Iceland, Copenhagen, Milan, and Portugal in one year.

1. Cheap Flights

2. Cheap Accommodation I wasn’t enthusiastic about hostels, so we scoured Airbnb for inexpensive options. In Iceland, we shared an apartment with some French tourists, and despite being initially daunting, it ended up being one of the highlights of the trip. We learned some French words and cooked a traditional French dinner on our last night.

3. Plan Ahead We planned our itinerary a month in advance.

We used Google Mapsfor routes and found ‘Copenhagen’ and ‘Milano’ cards in online forums that allowed us to travel throughout the areas on public transport. We took only hand luggage - this saved us both space and money. We also planned in advance to visit attractions which were mainly free entry.

4. Set a Budget On short breaks to Copenhagen and Milan, I budgeted £100 spending money (excluding travel cards we bought in advance). We ate breakfast in the apartment to cut costs and had take-away pizza for dinner twice in Milan to avoid the ‘coperto’ tax for sitting in restaurants. Despite being on a strict budget, I managed to catch an Inter Milan match in San Siro Stadium, see the Northern Lights, and visit Christiansborg Palace.

Written and photographed

by Chloe Tayor

We were as economical as possible in order to visit multiple places within the year. Travelling whilst at University definitely demands some sacrifice but, in the past year, I’ve experienced Italian, Danish, Portuguese, and Icelandic culture.

I’ve broadened my experiences and it has been invaluable in shaping my perspective of the world.

39

This is crucial to travelling on a student budget. When choosing a destination, consider the general cost of living –for example, Switzerland’s is incredibly high.

Regularly check Skyscanner, and budget airlines for deals, or sign up to an airline’s email list for discounted offers. This way, I managed to find flights from Edinburgh to Copenhagen for £20 (return) with Ryanair, and Milan for only £30 through Skyscanner. It also helps to look for flights during off-peak periods (e.g. early February). Finding a long weekend or a break in reading week means flying off-peak is easy.

IN A VILLAGE OF

LA MANCHA...

W

40

hen people ask where I am from, I often refer to Don Quixote: I am from a village in La Mancha. My British friends would look at me puzzled as if I had mentioned a niche work. But Don Quixote is the most printed work of fiction in the world!

For those who do not know, I might describe Don Quixote as a Spanish 17th Century “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”: a parody of the popular figure of the knight-errant. This approach was extremely revolutionary, influencing many future works.

May the reader then wonder: If Don Quixote is such an acclaimed source of literature, why is there no trace of it in the English language? It is in English.

“Quixotic” is accepted in the Oxford dictionary, meaning“extremely idealistic; unrealistic and impractical” and you can find expressions as “tilting at windmills,” meaning facing imaginary enemies.

In Don Quixote, Cervantes challenged the literary formulas of his time and subverted the narratives in a witty manner. He set-up the motion for the new narratives found in postmodernism.

For these reasons, I felt the need to reintroduce you to my friends Cervantes and Don Quixote.

EN LA LUGAR DE

L

a gente me suele preguntar de dónde procedo a lo que mesuelo referira Don Quijote: soy de un lugar de la Mancha. Mis amigos británicos me suelen mirar confusos, como si hubiese nombrado una obra ‘nicho’. ¡Sin embargo Don Quijote es la obra de ficción más impresa en la historia!

Cervantes, en Don Quijote, desafió las convenciones literarias de su época y trastocó las narrativas de unaforma ingeniosa. Marcó el comienzo de las nuevas narrativas del postmodernismo.

Por estas razones, he sentido la necesidadde volver a presentaros a mis amigos Cervantes y Don Quijote.

Lucas J. Morales on behalf of the Hispanic Society

Illustrated by Veronica Hamilton

41

Para aquellos que no laconocen, podría describir Don Quijote como la versión del siglo XVII español de los “Caballeros de la Mesa Cuadrada”: una parodia de las novelas caballerescas. Esto fue extremadamente revolucionario, influyendo en muchos trabajos posteriores.

El lector podría pensar: si Don Quijote es una obra tan aclamada, ¿cómo es posible que no exista marca de ésta en la lengua inglesa? La hay,“Quijotesco” está aceptada en la diccionario de Oxford, cuyo significado es “extremadamente idealistae impráctico”y puedes encontrar expresionescomo “luchar contra molinos de viento”, usado para referirse a una lucha contra enemigos imaginarios.

INTERNATIONAL

LA MANCHA...

TANNED IF WE DO DAMNED IF WE DON’T That’s right, another article in praise of sunlight.

42

Why? For personal reasons, actually. When we were crushed by a sudden curse of snow in March – while I, naively, was expecting spring – and the white disaster overwhelmed the streets, I’d had enough.

I missed the sun, I was tired of the cold, I had been anticipating flowers and warmth, and this was what I got? I was frustrated and developed a genuine disgust for winter: this thing that had lurked behind every corner for half a year, that had shortened our days below what could be considered viable - and then, when I had just fancied it gone, it returned with a treacherous violence that buried the delicate shoots of the first daffodils at Magdalen Green. I trudged through town in my inappropriately low shoes and grew angrier with every soaked step - it was impossible to avoid the wet calamity that covered every inch of asphalt. I hated winter, I wanted it dead, I wanted to dance on its grave.

But now – what joy! With the spring equinox behind us, and the hours of daylight dominating those of darkness, I feel like a different person.

The daffodils have recovered, and so has my motivation.

Much research has been done on people feeling “under the weather,” whose mood depends on what colour of sky they wake up to in the morning. But you don’t have to have Seasonal Affective Disorder to feel the impact of the sun returning after all this time.

We know that the human body gets its vitamin D almost entirely from sunlight: thus many of us living in the northern hemisphere suffer from a lack of it. As short-term consequences, you might notice symptoms of the “winter blues”: exhaustion, low spirits, mood swings, and lack of energy. Fortunately, these things return with summer! In the long run, however, a deficiency can cause palpable health problems mostly related to bone density since we cannot absorb vital nutrients without vitamin D. In most cases the amounts we take in over our food are negligible and not enough to meet our bodies’ requirements, especially for those of us who are vegetarians or vegans, as this vitamin is mainly found in oily fish and eggs.

Now, what can you do when you have all those concerns about skin cancer that years of warnings from alarmed dermatologists have imbued you with? Should you stay away from sunlight and just take supplements?

Health experts have agreed that most individuals can produce enough vitamin D when exposing their face, arms or lowers legs to the sun without sun protection for short periods of time from March to September in the time between 11am and 3pm. There is no single winning formula of what your skin can take – a very fair-skinned person will burn after ten minutes (a problem which has formed the basis of many jokes at the expense of British tourists in sunnier regions of this planet), while others with darker complexions can take hours of exposure. At the same time, with a certain poetic justice, those with darker skin take longer to produce the necessary amount of vitamin D.

LIFESTYLE

For me, the sun is nothing short of a remedy – so when the first sunny days hit Dundee, I did only one thing: I sat at the open window, with as few clothes on as I could justify for my neighbours’ sake, and did not move until the sun wandered out of my skin’s reach.

After all, every potential student who comes do Dundee for the first time has to listen to the hackneyed cliché of it being Scotland’s sunniest city – Dundee, you still got something to prove!

Marie Bernadette Rollins Photography by Karolina Bielawska

43

I’ll be honest with you, on the list of all the things I expect to kill me, sun exposure does not range even remotely close to the top. But if you prefer applying sunblock in thick layers worthy of a vampire, go right ahead. The most important thing to do is to listen to your skin. The only thing I am scrupulous about are my tattoos – there is no leeway there, my ink always gets caked in sunscreen. After all, I didn’t spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of painful hours for my art to fade away.

Since those first spring days, my face has returned to a hue that is less than cadaverous, and I’m excited at the prospect of many more hours of sunshine and even longer days in the next months.

A Thankful Ending to a Beautiful Journey 44

W

ith the academic year ending, many of us will be dressing up in our graduation gowns, saying goodbye to university and spending the last days of early summer in anticipation of the rest of our lives: be it jobs, adventure, relaxation, or further steps in academia.

But, before we embark on the next step in our lives, I would like to make a reflection on what the University of Dundee did for me and what it represents for many of us.

Unlike many of my peers, I went to university before I started my undergraduate degree in Computer Science at Dundee. Back home in Croatia, I went to the most prestigious university for computing and electronics. There I went through a hell of a course, with 6-7 modules a semester and only a week’s worth of break between Christmas and New Year before we would resume. Needless to say it’s a heavy toll on one’s system.

Throughout my previous education, I had always wanted to go abroad and experience a more modern system. This finally happened in 2014 when I got accepted and moved to Dundee. Here, after the initial shock and awe, I began to see that unlike back home, Scotland was ripe with opportunity for someone like me. To supplement this, I had amazing flatmates back in Flat 7 of West Park Flats that made the whole experience that much greater.

In first year I was getting to know everyone and see how things functioned. I was amazed as to how sparse

my timetable was. For comparison’s sake, I had failed maths at my previous university, only to excellently pass it which shows how well-structured the course is. Free time was a surprise to me, and I decided to use it as I pleased. So I explored, experimented, and discovered, I ended up joining the surfing club and experienced things I had never experienced before.

Second year was a bit different; I started to see how everything worked, found ways to improve and grabbed every opportunity to do so. While I was never a class rep, I attended every Staff-Student Meeting we had in Computing and worked towards a goal until it was met. Coupled with gaining a lab tutoring position, I was able to quite effectively improve the conditions of my fellow students, which the Computing President saw and rewarded me with the title and position of Lab President, previously non-existent. At the end of the year I was encouraged to campaign for Computing President and won the position!

During that summer, I gained a lab research assistant position with the university that helped me connect with the staff and see the course through their eyes. I learned about their hardships and University politics, as is with everywhere else, it is not for the faint of heart.

Throughout third year there were many nonsensical decisions made and even more pressure exerted, all managed in conjunction with the course itself. I gained many friendships with staff and students alike, forming many professional and personal bonds. It is this experience that I think helped me gain an internship at JPMorgan that following summer, and in the end receive a job offer to start August, 2018.

LIFESTYLE

I want to thank the staff in Computing for putting their heart and soul into their lectures, and caring about the students. I want to thank DUSA for giving the students so much that other universities can only dream of. I want to thank my fellow classmates, and the people I have befriended during my course for being there in my life and sharing with me this wonderful experience. I want to thank the University for accepting my application, and my mum for providing for it. Finally, I want to thank the people running the Magdalen for publishing these silly articles I sometimes write.

Farewell Dundee, and thank you for the opportunity of a lifetime.

For the last time,

Erik Jeny Illustrated by Molly Porteous

45

And here we are, at the end of fourth year, where everything is coming to a close and hearty goodbyes are made. I will always remember my time at Dundee, since through its many hardships and opportunities, it helped let me grow and discover skills I never thought I had. The bonds made here will last for the better parts of our lives, and I hope that my contributions to this great institution will make it better, if not now, then in the future. Now, I wait for the last days of the semester, and the last free summer of my life, before the next big step.

46

P

CONFESSIONS OF A VEGAN

eople are often surprised when they find out I became a vegetarian at the age of six. I vividly remember shopping with my mum in ASDA, getting to the freezer section and asking her if the frozen chickens used to be living chickens. She grudgingly decided to be honest, hoping that it wouldn’t upset me. I stated there and then, if that’s the case I won’t eat them anymore.

Or any other animal. My mind had reached the required maturity to work out what was going on and it just seemed wrong. My mum stopped my pocket money and any treats until I reversed my decision, worried about the impact on my health and growth. I stuck with it and I’m pleased to report I sprouted to 6ft 4, without the help of any protein from meat. This was 1992 and the studies showing that balanced meat-free diets are actually healthier than meat-based diets had not been published yet. No one was vegan and it was probably because we didn’t have access to any information about it: we had no

Internet. The Internet started taking off properly in the late 1990s and information began spreading as quickly as the mad cow disease epidemic.

Earthlings(2005) was the first ‘blockbuster’ vegan documentary to appear, exposing the horrific practices of huge companies unconscionably utilising animals for huge profits.

I’ve been vegetarian for 25 years now (this makes me sound so old so let’s once again remind ourselves that I started early) and vegan for one year now. I can still remember as a very young boy eating and enjoying a tuna sandwich. It’s confusing to me that I remember this enjoyment, as to do this now would repulse me. I can only surmise that I still have access to a different version of me -before the switch flipped. Growing up as a vegetarian has brought innumerable meal times bitterly flavoured with isolation and ridicule. I’ve had a long think about whypeople are so offended by my personal

choice in hopes to understand them better. the people who interrogated me during meal times were often genuinely bemused at how I could abstain because they associate meat with celebration.

Jamie Cameron

Illustrated by Leah Cameron

47

Most vegans, myself included, are not perfect and a lot of ‘haterz’ pick holes in this. It’s almost impossible to be a perfect vegan in this world. Sometimes a

I consider myself a pretty cool vegan. I don’t mean in the sense that I’m rocking a pair of Ray-Bans and a Morrissey t-shirt. I’m talking about being tolerant of people with opposing beliefs. It’s become culturally acceptable to demean and make fun of a specific group of people with strong beliefs and in the words of Morrissey: “That joke isn’t funny anymore”.

LIFESTYLE

And here I am with my vegetarian values confronting the customs they feel strong attachment to. I now understand that I was inadvertently challenging them to think about something they were avoiding. By making a stand against violence towards animals it’s like I was forcing them to question their own morals. People don’t like change, especially one that has nostalgic meaning attached to it. A common response was to lash out, to ridicule and to make me appear ‘wrong’ and ‘weird’ so by contrast they are ‘right’ and ‘normal’. Afterall, bacon doesn’t taste as good with a dollop of guilt. My message to hostile vegan-haters would be: we’re not judging you; on the contrary, we actually don’t care what you do with your body. Not in a cold-hearted way, more in a ‘you’re big and ugly enough to look after yourself’ kind of way.

soap dispenser in a public toilet contains milk: I’m still going to wash my hands rather than risk illness.

The steering wheel on my second-hand car is made with leather: I’m still going to drive it; I can’t afford a vegan Tesla just yet. I still wear the leather boots I bought before I decided to become vegan because if a cow had to die for me to have warm and dry feet then it doesn’t make sense to make that death worthless by throwing them away. Picking holes in a vegan for not being perfect is like criticising a charity for not solving world poverty. We can’t solve the problem but at least we are trying. I think when people hear ‘vegan’, they go into defensive mode (which invariably involves attack) because they think we are judging everyone who isnot vegan. Inevitably some vegans will bite back and when we do we are perceived as “preaching” because we use this pesky thing called scientific evidence.

Dundee University Photography Society Monthly Competition Winner Sarah Bugeja Kissaun @__sarahbk Theme: Reflections

Scenes like this are what dreams are made of Still loch waters and the warm glow of the setting sun.

King Arthur

50

‘..a memorable evening of mystical dimensions.’

MUSIC

The composition consisted largely of an orchestra, a choir, and 3 lead operatic singers: tenor James Slimings, soprano Steph Baker, and baritone Calum Green. Slimings carried himself in a heroic manner throughout, not only displaying a highly professional degree of singing but also a commitment to the overall performance. Several of his notes gave me actual goosebumps and his projection was astounding.

Baker, although somewhat nervous to start, sang with clarity and passion and within the first few minutes was more than holding her own against the orchestra and, at times, the choir behind her. Green on the other hand unfortunately lacked the required projection in his voice so his calibre was somewhat hard to assess.

However, bar the odd blip, the operatic leads were a very strong group whose performances were not only integral to the plot and impact of the production, but also a showcase of the professional level of talent in an amateur group.

Moving on to the orchestra - having been to an RSNO performance a week prior, I had high standards to hold them to…. and they did not disappoint!

Although there was the odd slip, to any untrained ear they were unnoticeable and the overall impact of the orchestra and choir was one majestic grandiosity.

They used their brilliant musical abilities, much like a painter would use his brushes and paint, to create images. Mythical, magical images of Arthur’s return to Camelot after defeating the Saxons, his retrieving of the legendary Excalibur, his love and marriage to Guinevere (a particularly moving performance) and finally, tragically, his death in battle with Excalibur being returned to the Lady of the Lake. The ability of an orchestra to paint a picture in your mind is quite unlike anything else: it weaves and shapes it through the tempo, intensity, and flow.

It is not every day you get to experience a performance like this: created by a Dundee Jute baron, played around the UK and then becoming lost before being revived by our very own Music Society and performed at the Caird Hall for all to enjoy.

A massive congratulations and thank you to the Dundee University Music Society for a stunning evening of quality musical talent.

David White Photography by Dundee University Music Society

51

A

somewhat interesting title for a music article, but those of you who can cast your mind back to the end of March may recall the University of Dundee Music Society’s monumental performance of Smeaton’s King Arthur; bringing it back into the light after over 100 years in the shadows. With the piece containing the drama of Arthurian legend combined with the highly commendable execution by the society, created a memorable evening of mystical dimensions.

52

Dominic Jones-Tett Illustrated by Detta Carfrae

Zurich – ‘Where you’ve been’

Stephen Malkmus – ‘Shiggy’

‘Where You’ve Been’ is the new single by Zurich, the Oxford-based post-punk band. Embracing the inevitable Radiohead comparisons, the song opens with expansive synths. The production is fantastic, with synths clashing against guitars in a beautiful display of harmony. As the song builds from atmospheric verses to anthem choruses. Guest vocalist, Dolly Mavies, gives some nice relief from Adrian Banks’ slightly grating vocals. While Zurich might owe a lot to eighties’ synth-pop and post-punk, the song feels very modern, with an EDM drum machine, complete with handclaps rumbling under the song. While this strange mishmash of elements might not work, Zurich almost pulls it together, but in the end the lyrics let the rest of the song down. The main refrain of “I’ll take you to parties, where you can learn to live” awkwardly falls into being sort of meaningless, yet at the same time, kind of creepy. Zurich are a great band, with extremely accomplished musicianship and production skills, but are ultimately let down by their lyrics.

‘Shiggy’ is the new single from Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks. Unlike the mellow vibes of the previous month’s single ‘Middle America’, ‘Shiggy’ is a volatile fuzz rocker, opening with a classic Malkmus solo. The song is probably the most aggressive since Pavement’s ‘Serpentine Pad,’ with leads just as hummable as any other Pavement tune. The biggest departure is Stephen’s much more obvious technical ability, with solos played at every opportunity, showcasing both skill and melodic ability. The lyrics for ‘Shiggy’ aren’t directly political like ‘Middle America,’ but the euphoric aggression of the music makes it a great headphone anthem for these times.

MUSIC 53

R E L AX A L IT T L E DAVID WHITE

54

N

othing inspires the mind like violin concerto. Now that may seem like something of a pretentious statement but let me explain. Picture this, you have had a packed day, everyone wants something but you have no time and more than that you have no drive - you are done. The sun begins to set and you just want to curl up and avoid everything but instead you step into the marvel of Victorian interior that is the Caird Hall. The chandeliers and row upon row of red velvet-clad chairs and at the front an array of the most wonderful instrument careful nestled amongst some of the best classical musicians this country has to offer. As the lights dim and the orchestra begins to tune, the worry starts to ebb away and then with a flurry and a wave of the conductor’s magic wand, they begin. From there on in you are entranced.

At the time of writing this, I’ve had the chance to see the Elgar’s epic violin concerto performed by the world renowned violinist, Nicola Benedetti, and two marvellous double concertos for violin and cello by renowned cellist, Jan Vogler, and violinist, Mira Wang; as well as just a couple of weeks back witnessing an astounding and dramatic rendition of Stauss’ piano concerto. Seeing such masters of their art is entrancing and the music they create carries you away.

Over the last few years I’ve had the brilliant opportunities of enjoying numerous of these performances at the Caird Hall by the RSNO. The national orchestra provides an amazing opportunity for people to witness live the power of classical music, and for students the tickets are generally on sale for £6. One of my favourite performances over the last year was when I, 5th row with an unobstructed view, enjoyed 2 hours of Beethoven, Brahms, and a Scottish premier of a piece by John Harbison, for cheaper than a cocktail at the bar I would have been at should I not have been there; I don’t think you can get fairer than that.

I think the ability of classical music to transport you is what I find truly remarkable. I can be listening to a piece by Elgar and see a full scene of a baby deer running through woods. In listening to Beethoven I can see the palaces of the nobility, people in finery waltzing in a marble-clad ballroom with ornate cornicing and grand glinting chandeliers.

Modern composers can also paint vivid images.

In the second movement of John Harbison’s double concerto there appeared to be a battle of vibrato between the violinist and cellist which was only enhanced by the dramatic playing of the orchestra creating what, to me, resembled a couple in argument.

From the classics of Beethoven, Brahms, and Elgar and Strauss to modern composers such as John Harbison and Gavin Higgins, the RSNO display the length and breadth of classical music and also feature astounding guest violists and cellists.

“the ability of classical music to transport you is what I find truly remarkable”

So look out for some live orchestras this year, with cheap tickets and a relaxing evening to remember, why not?

Fantastic Graduate Roles in Sales for Times Top 100 employers across the UK Don’t know what to do this year? Don’t want the year go to waste? Afraid of looking at your bank balance?

Confident, driven, target-oriented, motivated, ‘get up and go’ minded students wanted for fantastic graduate roles working in sales for Times Top 100 employers across the UK!

How does it work?

Why should I apply?

Whatever it is you’re selling, whether it’s software or financial advisory services, you will have monthly revenue targets set that you’ll need to hit. Every time you convert a lead into a client (i.e. they purchase something from the company) you get a commission.

You can earn A LOT of money! These uncapped commission roles are for money-motivated students!

The perks! All of the companies fully encourage work hard play hard and offer some fantastic perks unlike any other employers, such as trips, parties, company cars, discounts, etc. !

Can I apply?

Any degree subject is eligible You are graduating this year, or have graduated in previous years (anyone with a degree is eligible, even your mums, dads, cousins) We’re looking for confident, money motivated individuals with the drive and determination to meet targets Great relationship building skills are key Excellent telephone manner is essential

How to apply: Go to: www.sanctuarygraduates.co.uk/graduatesales-roles/?ref=CCDUN to apply and be considered for all 3 roles! It only takes 50 seconds and we will support you throughout the whole application process.

Or scan the QR code!

56

OPINIONS

Summer: A State of Mind?

A

What happened to the summer holidays? When did the hype of having an epic summer holiday begin?

This pressure of having to do extravagant things.

What happened to it being okay to have a picnic in the park with your friends, having a water fight in your back garden, or even just staying with your family because you’ve missed them? These activities can be just as epic as traveling the world, or any other great things you feel like you should be doing.

Especially as university students, our normal week days are filled with so many things we should be doing, that summer is time for doing exactly what you want. Not should.

If all you wanna do is stay at home, sunbathe in your garden and enjoy not having to study all the time, then that’s what you should do. These are the last

years we have with such a long holiday, so what you should do is make the best out of it, no matter how.

Of course if you do feel like doing something epic, you should. But my point is, it doesn’t have to be like that. All you should do, is what you feel like.

Summer is about taking a break from reality, a break from university and all the work throughout the semester and even the whole year! And the summer season is the best for that, in my opinion.

‘It’s about enjoying melting ice cream in the sun’ Summer is for endless nights with your friends, countless new memories. Spontaneous trips, whether they’re to McDonalds at 2am or a new city. It’s about enjoying melting ice cream in the sun, drying off after swimming in the sea, listening to music while lying on your back in the grass. Summer is a state of mind. Simple.

Lizzie Husum Illustrated by Iona French

57

s the days go by, summer is coming closer something I think we’re all looking forward to! Whether you have planned something epic: going to the States for Camp America, a road trip to Europe, or a volunteer trip to Africa, or if you’re just planning on working to get some money in the bank, chill with your friends in the sunshine, or take a family trip somewhere - I think it all sounds great.

58

Silver Linings of the Summer Holidays

No matter how far you’ve come, you made it through another year and it’s a reason to celebrate. Or an excuse to, depending on what you need. Hopefully you have a summer to look forward to. Even if all you can see right now is three months of hair smelling of chip fat, or refolding shirts continuously for four hours only to have a cocky teenager hold your gaze as they trail an arm through the neat stacks, knocking them over, I guarantee you there’s something worthwhile about it all.

The restaurant you work at might hire a cute new kitchen porter and you bond over the leaky dishwasher and resulting damp feet (if you can bond over this, it’s meant to be). Or it turns out that you’re on a closing shift with Kevin, who secretly freaked you out the first time you met him because he was eating mustard by the spoonful straight out the bottle, but it’s Kevin who lets you take all the unsold shortbread home so you can use it to bribe your little brother into tidying his room.

Your babysitting job steps up and you spend 4 nights a week tucking the kid in to bed at 7pm and placing a bet with yourself as to how many times they’ll be back downstairs needing a drink, or the toilet, or being scared of the monster under the bed. But it’s worth is for the fast WiFi and the little picnic of crisps, cookies, a satsuma and a singular beer which the parents leave you each night. You know, the little things.

You might be planning your escape for one single, glorious week of golden holiday: an oasis of blue and sand compared to the grubby plains of rainy Scotland.

Inevitably you’ll be Instagramming photos for weeks to come, captions of ‘take me back!’ and ‘if only my

You might be planning on travelling alone for months, waiting to see who you meet and where the road takes you. Your mum asked if you’re worried about being lonely or meeting the wrong people but your biggest worry is whether you’ll get pulled aside at airport security to explain why you have a 2kg block of cheese in your hand luggage. You’ll be dreaming of watching the sun go down, sand between your toes, sipping an ice cold beer.

Maybe you fully intend to shamelessly live off your parents; even if they moved your stuff into the box room the day you left for uni so that your dad could extend his model railway set into your larger room.

But you can deal with this. Three square (and usually hot) meals a day, none of which involve rehydrating something or are eaten out of a mug, is way too tempting an offer to pass on.

Too tempting that is until, although you really missed your dad’s dinners, you realise that hot meals, regular laundry and your cute cat are all very lovely but… you do have to answer a who, what, where, when, how every time you propose to leave the house. You painfully have to relinquish having sole control of the remote control. I tell you though, make the most of it. You’ll be back, clutching a coffee as your life force, in the back of a lecture before you know it. And then you’ll miss it.

What have you got planned for the summer? Have you got 3 weeks of sunshine, new culture and delicious food that has you coming back looking like you’ve been dipped in gold? Are you spending time with your family for once? Have you booked a long weekend away in Wales? Have you already got a BBQ planned for mid-August? Are you working a 40-hour week?

There’s a long summer ahead of you and let me tell you: it’s going to be fun, awe-inspiring, wonderful and relaxing. Silver linings, people.

Rose Kendall Illustrated by Aina Fontich

59

‘You’ll be dreaming of watching the sun go down, sand between your toes, sipping an ice cold beer.’

economics textbook was as blue as this sky!’. This in itself is pretty wonderful, no silver lining needed. Just make sure you wear your factor 50!

OPINIONS

W

hat did you do this year? You graduated?

You aced all your exams? You got most of your projects in on time? You dragged yourself to a few lectures? You just scraped by? You only just survived fully intact despite feeling like your body might actually disintegrate due to stress and sleep deprivation?

60

SUMMER OF NEW BEGINNINGS

W

Vachel Novesha Photography by Karolina Bielawska

inter has overstayed its welcome. It has been a long time coming and, good Lord, did it really just keep coming. Just when you think it’s over, another three-day spree of snow falls everywhere. And yes, it’s nice and fun and the best part is probably standing outside in a blizzard and feeling all that snow touch your face but unfortunately winter is very much a time for solitude and shutting in. Sure, you can get people to come visit but they won’t stay long, knowing they’ll have to get back before being forced to brave the midnight chill. So, ultimately, winter’s when you’re all alone, cosied up with Netflix and a steaming hot chocolate (if you’re into that).

But after a while, you start to think, when does it get warm again? Very soon, no matter how many sacrifices it takes, we need the sun to stay up there for longer than a particularly unkind series of back-toback lectures. Was it something we said that made you leave? If you wanted to come visit in May sometime, that’d be cool. Spring will be there too, hopefully, and we’ll drink iced tea and pina coladas. All we’re missing is you, Summer.

Because if there’s any time of year for new beginnings, it’s summer. There’s something about the sun - the raw energy blazing, imbuing everyone with at the least the barest modicum of vim and vigour to get out and rise up.

Summer evenings feel like little holidays - being outside, sitting al fresco or chilling at the benches, reminiscing about your day. And through that dreamlike haze, you come to feel refreshed and invigorated. Your sun-kissed soul makes you want to do better things, be better. It’s why, in my opinion, the best new starts come from summer.

Often New Year Resolutions come from self-criticisms based on things people believe to be negative about themselves - after a long dark winter you have eaten your feelings in the family share box of chocolates, and you feel down about yourself! But summer sunshine brings out the positive vibes, and you can start each new school year setting yourself goals - “summer resolutions,” if you will - that aren’t entirely based on negative feelings, but instead, positive things you wish to happen for you, this new year.

OPINIONS

S

o what exactly is summer? Is it the olfactory bit of the season it refers to or is it the tactile sensation of warmth around us? For me, it’s the sensory part that matters the most.

When I say my summer is not loud, I mean I have mental peace, satisfied with myself and being able to comprehend everything around me after a turbulent storm. If anyone reading this is able to comprehend what I’m saying: WOW ARE WE GETTING STRONG AT HANDLING THIS STORM OR WHAT? For me, summer is a revelation point, something which never changes, something impactful. Summer can refer to anything; starting from a healthy lifestyle or friend circle. Summer can be the impact of a single person in your life or the point after a tough phase in your life.

As for my perception, summer is all around us, even in times of a ‘winter mood’ where we are hopeless or down. It is this summer of positive perception that brings us outfrom when we feel down and it depends on the strength of the an individual if they can bring forth this summer of positive outlook, to bring a substantial change into their lives.

Once this happens, life is always ready to give opportunities for new adventures, probably ones better than you could have thought.

‘It is filled with memories of what I have accomplished todate and lessons from what I have not.’

So here’s to a summer of a positive outlook no matter what happens. To staying focused and rooted to the long-term goals. To staying focused on making yourself better, taking care of yourself. Once this is achieved, a healthy circle of like-minded people will follow and this personal growth will be an added bonus with a healthy surrounding. Here’s to summer!

Saima Salsabil

61

The summer I enjoy doesn’t know any limits, it is not to be enjoyed for a few months of the year and neither is it full of the sound of people laughing. Instead, it is filled with calm and solitude. It is filled with memories of what I have accomplished todate and lessons from what I have not.

When I say ‘Here’s to Summer,’ I do not mean that there will no longer beany winter. What I mean is, here’s to a persistent effort to a positive recognition of life’s challenges. Here’s to working hard towards your goals: to the extent that even if you don’t achieve the highest of what you thought you would, you will still be satisfied because you gave your best.

OPINIONS

THE FORBIDDEN FOREST I

feel inferior to the wall of over-confident and discreet sanitary products that stare back at me.

They anger me, the sickening pink flowers and yellow butterflies that portray this pain as pretty. I used to joke about this aisle being the forbidden forest.

Now I’m standing in it, feeling the roots of shame under my feet, consumed by the large, small, plastic applicators, cardboard applicators, wings, no wings, night-time, extra-long, moon cups - how the fuck do you use moon cups? I am dazed by the products I’ve previously hid up one sleeve whilst raising my other arm to ask to go to the toilet. I should be proud of my pain - the blood that comes from me, a testament to my unborn children. Instead I am taxed for it, told to be quiet because my gross body is too much.

My femininity is told to be delicate and soft, but not heard. The celebration of womanhood, the period, is to be absorbed and concealed by these feminine products.

Then why do I feel strongest when I’m bleeding? This blood is mine, it shows I am living.

I love the colour red, it’s so contradictory and passionate. Yet the art of the painted bedsheets, and inked clothes are embarrassing. Menstrual blood is coloured a deep misogyny. I still can’t enjoy the sea or

the sun, the taboo of white cotton dresses tattooed with cherry wine, and strings peeking out of bikini bottoms wash my summer days with anxiety.

A transitioning teen gets his period and stands in the same woodland that has no wood, his masculinity confronted by his monthly red reminder. He’s angry that Mother Nature is still a woman.

A homeless woman on Buchanan Street couldn’t afford to soak up the blood dripping down her leg. She walks with me, avoiding the word period the same way she wishes she could avoid the thing itself, to ask for some sanitary products.

We didn’t choose to bleed this way. And it’s not just bleeding that our bodies do. Those without uteruses aren’t aware of the smell, the swollen boobs or the cravings but they love to laugh about the mood swings. And they don’t know about the precursor pains that made my doctor tell me I had appendicitis.

It’s not shark week, it’s not the time of the month, and it’s not god damn feminine. I’m angry about the forbidden fruit of blood.

Iona Wheeler Illustrated by Greg Rathie

62

62

“THIS BLOOD IS MINE, IT SHOWS I AM LIVING.”

Dundee University Photography Society Monthly Competition Winner Frankie Flynn Theme: Reflections

Social Media A critique and celebration of internet culture - as the social media-obsessed society we live in develops, digital life is becoming an extension of our physical experiences.

Meet Your Interstitium Alex McCraw Illustrated by Graeme Robertson

64

T

he last few years have truly been ones of discovery for the human body. Only last year, it was reported that a new organ had been hiding in plain sight the entire time.

Previously considered to be segmented sections of connective tissue, joining areas of intestine to the abdominal wall, the mesentery was discovered to in fact be one continuous organ – now opening up a range of considerations into abdominal disease and treatment. Already, Grey’s Anatomy (the book, not the show) has updated the mesentery classification.

Now another hidden facet of the body has been found.

Thought to be one of the largest structures within the body, rivalling the skin, it was previously missed due to classical techniques of tissue examination destroying the structure. However, this complex tube system running throughout most organs may change the way we view many diseases.

Everyone, meet your Interstitium.

Although long known that the interstitial space (the narrow spaces found between tissue in the body) contained fluid, it was previously thought to be composed of solid collagen bundles and therefore of little interest. Now, during examination of the hepatic bile ducts, a team of scientists have described structures they say correlates to no known anatomical structure. Consisting of a complex network of fluid-filled tubes supported by thick collagen bundles, the system appears to drain into lymph nodes and upon examination, was found to be present in numerous organs throughout the body.

Researchers are still hesitant to name it a brand new organ, as this is the first time this socalled interstitium has been described.

“Now another hidden facet of the body has been found. Thought to be one of the largest structures within the body, rivalling the skin” Admittedly, this was also the first time alternate techniques were used to examine this component of the body. Only through immediate freezing of cells and extraction were researchers able to visualise these tubes – which are too fragile to remove otherwise. All other examinations of the interstitial space appeared to show dense layers of cells, which this research now suggests is not the reality.

Although further work is required to validate these findings, the concept of such a widespread network within the body may offer insight into how diseases such as cancer spread. During their examination, researchers noted that carcinogenic cells, infectious pathogens, and signalling molecules may be able to make use of this system to traverse the body rapidly.

Nonetheless, this remains an exciting example of the discoveries modern scientific techniques now enable.

SECTION SCIENCE

D

oes anyone else remember the chemistry question that asked about examples of a chemical reaction with burnt toast as an answer? In the kitchen we produce some pretty delicious products, in my case anyway (hairflipemoji), without thinking about all the science involved.

Let’s take a student’s favourite brunch dish: scrambled eggs on toast. Easy to make in 5 minutes, but what’s actually happening?

So first, the toast. An obvious appearance change occurs to turn your plain cold bread into golden brown, warm toast due to the not so obvious Maillard Reaction. Known to most is that bread contains carbohydrates, but probably less known is that the outer layer of carbohydrates - the carbonyl group reacts with amino acids - the nucleophilic amino group - resulting in the brown colour and specific taste of toast.

Anyone who’s seen the number of spices and extras I add to my eggs when scrambling them, can attest that I act like I’m mixing up my own elaborate mixture worthy of any science lab. However, even the most basic scrambled eggs involve science. Firstly you’re taking a liquid (the raw egg) and converting it to semisolid (cooked scrambled), which changes in shape and texture - obvious physical changes. Chemical changes also occur at a molecular level. The protein in eggs consists of hundreds of amino acids bound together in long chains folded together with relatively weak bonds.

As you heat your egg, molecule collisions increase in rapidity and quantity and eventually denature the

And what about the instruments we use to cook? Have you ever actually known how your toaster works?

First off, it’s converting electrical energy into heat. In most toasters, at the centre of the work are loops of nichrome wire. This nickel-and-chromium alloy has a high resistance to electricity and a very high melting point: ideal circumstances for the inside of a toaster.

The wire heats up, producing infrared energy and visible light (the red light seen inside a toaster), and like many little radiators, the bread is toasted.

All this science leads to great results!

Written and photographed by Ellie Biggs

65 65

In layman terms, a chemical reaction always involves the formation of one or more new substances. This most often involves a detectable appearance or energy change.

protein, causing the amino acid chain to unfold into a 3-dimensional web with H2O dispersed throughout.

This makes the water unable to flow, and it’s this lack of flow that makes eggs solid.

Soft Science Murray Glen

66

A

s students at a University boasting some of the world’s finest scientific disciplines, we can be forgiven for assuming that ‘science’ begins and ends in the realm of Biomed and Physics. However, we at The Magdalen wanted to look beyond that end of campus and into the Scrymgeour Building, to examine the scientific credentials of the Social Sciences.

In a truly scientific fashion we need a definition of scientific courses to test ‘soft’ subjects against. For this, we must look to the established branches of science, which as a handy tip, are separated according to which level of the physical world they deal with.

For example, the Physical Sciences, which include the likes of Geology and Astronomy, deal with literal physical things. Most popular at Dundee, there are also the Life Sciences, which deal with the physical world at a cellular level; things like cellular biology and biomed would fit into this category.

At the Atomic level, you get into Chemistry and Physics which deal with the base level make-up of the physical world which the other disciplines study. At a level below even this, lie the formal sciences of mathematics and “logic”- which some

argue are the ‘pure’ sciences. But in this blazon of the natural universe, where do the social sciences lie? What level of existence do they cover?

At a level between the Physical and Life sciences, we find a level of existence which can be empirically studied like all other branches of science, but which is dependent on variable factors as much as fixed data sets. This is where the Social Sciences lie. They depend on surveys, data analysis, and experimentation; but unlike the other sciences, their results must be tested against the ever-changing subjects of human society.

'the definition of science can come as a surprise even to scientists!'

This means that although scientific method is crucial to results, these experiments can never (or should never) produce a definitive answer. Unlike many Humanities subjects, studies in Politics, Psychology,

SCIENCE 67

and Geography have more relation to “science” than the other humanities they are grouped with as they are based upon the hypothesis and experimentation of theories. Crucially, hypothesis in the social sciences can be proven or disproven via the scientific method, unlike their Humanities counterparts which would struggle to analyse literature through empiricism. A special exemption can be made for history, which will deal with demographics and other data sets. However, as it is the study of the past and not the concurrent state of the physical world, it is more distant from science than its Social Science counterparts.

All in all, this little thought experiment of an article is to show that the definition of science can come as a surprise even to scientists! As well as this, it should also show readers that you don’t have to be spending your life in labs to take an interest in this section!

Photography by Ieva Bočkutė

DON’T MISS ANY PREVIOUS MAGDALEN ISSUES

Summer Wishes Gujarati: Happy Summer - Happy Summer Arabic: ‫ ديعس فيص‬- Happy Summer.

Czech: Všem krásné prázdniny plné slunce, odpočinku, a zábavy! - Wishing you all a lovely summer full of sun, relaxation, and lots of fun!

Polish: Wspaniałych wakacji! Cieszcie się każdą chwilą i dużo odpoczywajcie! - Have a wonderful summer holiday! Enjoy every moment of it and rest a lot!

Greek: Καλό Καλοκαίρι - Good Summer.

Danish: Hav en fantastisk sommerferie med massere af sol! - Have an amazing summer holiday with lots of sun!

Irish: Samhradh Sona - Happy Summer.

Swedish: Ha en bra sommar! Lycka till med tentorna! Have a good summer! Good luck with exams!

Spanish: Que tengas un buen verano - Hope you have a good summer!

Hindi: Chuttiyo ki shubh kamanayein - Have a happy summer!

ISSUE 65 issuu.com/themagdalen